County revisits bid on pickup

Published 6:00 pm, Sunday, November 29, 2009

Hale County commissioners this morning cleared up some confusion from their recent acceptance of a bid for a new pickup.

At its regular meeting Nov. 23, the court voted 5-0 to accept a bid from local vendor Jack Morris Ford for a 2010 Ford F-150 crew-cab pickup for the sheriff’s office.

The pickup would replace one with a regular cab already in use.

The court agreed to accept bids with and without trade-in.

Jack Morris submitted a bid of $24,822 for its initial bid and $21,322 with trade-in. The county received bids from two other vendors. Caldwell County Planet Ford submitted a bid for a 2010 Ford F-150 SuperCrew XLT 4x4 at $24,855 ($19,855 with trade-in) and a 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 4x4 crew cab for $26,280 ($22,280 with trade-in). Wolfe Ford/Dodge in Vernon submitted a bid on a Ford F-150 of $25,017.87 ($20,017.87 with trade-in).

Following last Monday’s meeting, Hale County Judge Dwain Dodson said he believed the law gave the court a small amount of freedom that would allow commissioners to accept the local bid, even if it was not the lowest.

However, at today’s meeting Dodson said Hale County Attorney Jim Tirey advised him that his legal opinion was that the county must accept the lowest bid.

Hale County Auditor Maretta Smithson explained that the county is required to stay within a 3 percent window (cities have a 5 percent window, she said).

Precinct 4 Commissioner Benny Cantwell moved to rescind the original acceptance of Jack Morris Ford’s bid because with the trade-in the Planet Ford bid was lowest. Precinct 1 Commissioner Michael Carroll seconded and the motion passed on a 3-0 vote.

In discussion prior to the vote, it was pointed out that without the trade-in Jack Morris was the lowest bid, and that since the bid process had asked for bids with and without trade-in the county could remove the current pickup as a trade-in.

Hale County Sheriff David Mull said he would prefer to do that since it would allow the county to go back and accept Jack Morris Ford’s bid of $24,822 without the trade-in.

He pointed out that the county could dispose of the old pickup in another way, although it would not likely bring $5,000, which was the highest trade-in value offered.

Cantwell said while there are some down sides to not using the older pickup as a trade-in, "I’m like (Sheriff) David (Mull). I would like to trade locally as much as possible."

Following the initial vote to rescind the bid with the trade-in, Dodson made a motion to remove the trade-in and accept Jack Morris Ford’s bid of $24,822 since, at that point, it became the lowest.